De-Ice Your Cottage

Found this on Lifehacker.

How to Properly De-Ice Your Home
http://bit.ly/1JvocEA Lifehacker

Written for your house but it works for the cottage as well. Picking the right de-icing material and how to use them.

Simple solutions that will help prevent cottage break-ins

Simple solutions that will help prevent cottage break-ins

More than 200,000 “break-and-enters” happen every year in Canada, the majority of which are residential. Cottages are no exception to this rule. As you prepare to close your cottage for the season, here are six surprisingly low-tech and low-cost ways to prevent break-ins during the winter season.

Read the full post at

http://bit.ly/1uoCQPX Cottage Life Blog

The best Canadian-themed movies for a rainy day at the cottage

The best Canadian-themed movies for a rainy day at the cottage

http://bit.ly/1y6iTkK Cottage Life Blog

Your thoughts? What did they miss?

Municipal Election 2014

Municipal Election 2014

http://bit.ly/1pfeW6q FOCA

2014 is a Municipal Election Year – FOCA wants YOU to vote in your rural municipality


FOCA encourages our members, and all individuals, to get involved in the October 27th, 2014 Ontario Municipal Elections. The term of office for elected representatives is December 1st, 2014 to November 30th, 2018 (a four year term).

Looking to speed up your breakfast prep & cook time at the cottage?

20 breakfast hacks to make the most of your weekend

Fortunately, there are some genius breakfast hacks out there to make your mornings quick and tasty. To make long-weekend mornings at the cottage a cinch so you can find your beach, we’ve compiled 20 breakfast hacks that are easy to make and easier to enjoy

Click on the link below to go to the Cottage Life Blog

http://bit.ly/1orYClr Cottage Life

I love breakfast at the cottage

Sharpening basics for your cottage tools

Sharpening basics for your cottage tools

It’s been said that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. A tool shouldn’t have to be forced to do its job, or there is the risk of that force moving in an undesirable direction, not to mention the wasted energy required to complete the task. Try cutting carrots with a dull kitchen knife, and you’ll get my drift. Understanding the geometry of a cutting edge allows you to sharpen just about any tool, and also to recognize when it’s dull. 

Read the rest at:
http://bit.ly/1diAfO9 Cottage Life

Cottage time is not that far away, time to think about getting your cottage tools in shape

3 considerations for enjoying your cottage as you age

3 considerations for enjoying your cottage as you age

Our cottages are certainly our summer homes, and they’re often the place where we spend the most quality time. But enjoying the cottage as we age may become more difficult because of the terrain. Uneven landscapes and differing architectures present challenges for renovators and product suppliers to create solutions for safe access, but there are ways to alleviate most problem areas. These generally include a combination of construction and product that will allow safe, easy access to the cottage and the lake, extending an your enjoyment of your cottage well into retirement. 

http://bit.ly/14dMXjD Cottage Life

Some good ideas and tips

Need help troubleshooting your cottage water system?

Need help troubleshooting your cottage water system? 
Here's a book with all the answers: http://bit.ly/12OKY4T  Cottage Life

It looks good will have to get a copy at the next Cottage Life Show. Hope they also release it as a eBook too.

A clean start to the Cottage season

Cottage comforts: Make a clean start on the season

A checklist for clearing out the clutter and freshening things up

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Cottage+comforts+Make+clean+start+season/8430259/story.html#ixzz2UFw0RjZs

Some great tips and ideas 

Victoria Day long weekend guide for cottagers

Victoria Day long weekend guide

Whether you're headed to the cottage for work or play this long weekend, we have the expert advice to help you along the way 

http://bit.ly/10jHJON Cottage Life

Lots of great tips, tricks and recipes wether you are a new cottager or an old hand,

Sunrise on Georgian Bay

A view like this, is why I like to get up early at the cottage. 

The sun is coming up over Beausoleil Island

Game Storage At The Cottage

Use a Nut and Bolt Drawer to Store Loose Board Game Pieces 

http://bit.ly/15GE5ke LifeHacker 

A great idea for the all the games that the cottage. Can not count how many games we were missing pieces for.... 

Want to keep up on issues affecting Cottages in Ontario?

Want to keep up on issues affecting Cottages in Ontario?

For 50 years, FOCA has been dedicated to supporting the interests of Ontario's waterfront property owners. This is accomplished by providing assistance and leadership to Ontario's cottage associations and to our individual members, and through advocating for the long-term interests of our communities.

The Clearwater Beach Ratepayers Association is a member of FOCA. You can help us help FOCA, buy liking their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/foca.on.ca  Facebook

If you have a cottage in Ontario, consider joining FOCA

Great blue herons

Things we love about the cottage: Great blue herons

http://bit.ly/UyezbR Cottage Life

I did not see any at the cottage this year. Did you? This is the first year in a while where I did not see a Great Blue Heron while at the cottage. I saw several in the Dorval area, along the St. Lawrence River.

Cottage Tech Blog

Terry S. has started a new blog on Cottage Tech  at http://terryoncottagetech.blogspot.ca

"Welcome to my Cottage Tech blog. The focus will be on Tech at the cottage but I will be looking at other things that can improve your enjoyment of a cottage. I will be looking at High Tech, Low Tech and No Tech solutions to cottage issues. I will try to look in to the pros and cons of various tech at the cottage."

Check it out and hope you enjoy it.

Tech Support Phone Scams

Warning Warning
Just got a call from "Windows Technical Support" on the Cottage Phone. This is a SCAM.

I am guessing they are working through the numbers in this area. Microsoft does not call you up because they think you have a problem with your computer.
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Microsoft warns on support scams
 
Thousands still falling for old-school tech support swindle

http://bit.ly/NU00y6 The Register
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Avoid tech support phone scams

http://bit.ly/PTEEvF Microsoft
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Quit burning your feet with your Flip Flops

Place Your Flip Flops Face Down When Outside to Avoid Burning Your Feet When You Put Them Back On

http://bit.ly/KXPoML LifeHacker

Brilliant and simple way to not burn your feet this summer

Water Workout At The Cottage

Ask a Health Expert -
I need a good water workout for the cottage
http://bit.ly/KsFiVd Globe and Mail
Looks interesting. Worth trying if you have the water level to do it.

Cottage succession: Plan now

Cottage succession: Plan now (your heirs will be grateful)

http://bit.ly/L0ALnD Globe and Mail
If you do not have a plan get one. If you have one keep it up to date.

FOCA has information on Cottage Succession
http://bit.ly/LJva3Y FOCA
If there is enough interest we might be able to schedule a session in our area

Dealing with pesky raccoons

Dealing with pesky raccoons
http://bit.ly/K10IU6 Toronto Sun
Raccoons are a pain in the butt